Aventurine
Aventurine is a form of quartzite, characterised by its translucency and the presence of platy mineral inclusions that give it a shimmering or glistening effect termed aventurescence.
Background
The most common color of aventurine is green, but it can also be orange, brown, yellow, blue, or grey. Chrome-bearing
Aventurine feldspar or sunstone can be confused with orange and red aventurine quartzite, although the former is generally of a higher transparency. Aventurine is often banded and an overabundance of fuchsite may render it opaque, in which case it may be mistaken for malachite at first glance.[citation needed]
The name aventurine derives from the
The majority of green and blue-green aventurine originates in India (particularly in the vicinity of Mysore and Chennai) where it is employed by prolific artisans. Creamy white, gray and orange material is found in Chile, Spain and Russia. Most material is carved into beads and figurines with only the finer examples fashioned into cabochons, later being set into jewellery.[citation needed]
See also
- Dioptase
- Optical phenomena
- List of minerals
- Malachite
- Jade
References
- ^ public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Aventurine". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 54. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
External links
- Aventurine at Mindat.org